Derry pip Kerry to book Christy Ring final place against Kingdom

BALL GAME: A general view of a sliotar during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B match between Antrim and Kilkenny at Corrigan Park in Belfast. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Derry 2-15 Kerry 0-19 

This was a Christy Ring Cup defining game for Derry as they took on an unbeaten Kerry team already in the final on Saturday afternoon at Celtic Park. 

It did not look good for the Oak Leaf county ten minutes into the second-half as Kerry led 0-14 to 0-6, but from somewhere Johnny McGarvey’s men caught fire and fired over seven unanswered points to cut the deficit to the minimum 0-14 to 0-13 before Kerry’s talisman Podge Boyle pushed Kerry two clear from a free.

But then in the 60th minute Derry struck for the crucial score, a goal that was finished to the net by Joe Mulholland after Conor Bohane had saved from McGill. Derry were now a point ahead. A Boyle free and an Ivan Conway point from play had the sides level again but young substitute Ivan Conway fired over a Kerry lead point to make it 0-18 to 1-14.

Then, with four minutes left on the clock, the Kerry keeper was guilty of misjudging a dropping ball and it was left to Shea Cassidy to prod the ball into an empty net.

With McGill and Goulding swapping points, Derry had staged a dramatic fightback to end Kerry’s unbeaten run with two points to spare.

Despite Meath’s big win in Donegal, Derry were through their fourth Christy Ring Cup final in four years and their fifth in six , but it is Kerry that await in two weeks time in Croke Park!.

Kerry have a good record against the Ulster side. You would have to go back to January 2012 and a National League Division 2A clash in Celtic Park for the last time Derry hurlers defeated their Kerry counterparts with a 0-15 to 1-07 victory but this was a different scenario even if Kerry played a near full strength side and took the risk of injuries with the final just two weeks away.

That backfired as Podge Boyle picked up an injury in added time and Kerry’s top scorer is now only rated 50-50 for the final.

Kerry dominated the opening half with Padraig Boyle unerring from placed balls while the Kerry half-back line of James O’Connor, Jason Diggins and Hugh Lenihan had the measure of their opponents. 

Kerry should have goaled from the throw-in when Kevin Goulding raced through the heart of the Derry defence but Derry custodian Sean Kelly made a superb save. Podge Boyle opened the Kingdom’s account from a free but Cormac O’Doherty leveled the contest with a fine effort from play. 

Then Derry were denied a goal themselves when young Rian Collins got in behind the Kerry defence only for Bohane to deny him.

By the 20th minute, the Kingdom were 0-7 to 0-4 in front with Podge Boyle scoring three points. Jason Diggins, Ronan Walsh and James O’Connor were also on the mark, with Corm O’Doherty, Darragh McGilligan and Joe Mulholland scoring for Derry.

The home side failed to score for a sixteen-minute spell while Boyle and Slattery added five points, but Derry did close the gap to 0-12 to 0-6 by half-time.

Two Kerry subs, Ivan Conway and Jordan Conway, pushed Kerry 0-14 to 0-6 clear by the 45th minute but suddenly Derry began to believe and, as stated, they fired over those seven unanswered points and that late Cassidy goal.

It was enough to see them victorious and into the Christy Ring Cup final, despite results elsewhere.

Scorers Derry: D Foley, C O'Doherty (3f) (0-5 each), Shéa Cassidy (1-1), J Mulholland (1-0), D McGilligan (0-2), R Collins, E McGill (0-1 each)

Scorers Kerry: P Boyle (0-9fs), I Conway (0-3), M Slattery (0-2), J O’Connor, J Diggins, K Goulding (f), R Walsh and J Conway (0-1 each). 

DERRY: S Kelly; J Lee McGlade, P Turner, C McGilligan; E Cassidy, M McGrath, C Coyle; C O’Doherty, T Brady; S Quinn, J Mulholland, D McGilligan; R Collins, S Cassidy, D Foley.

Subs: C Melaugh for Quinn (44), R McGarvey for Brady (55), E McGill for Mulholland (60), T Melaugh for C McGilligan (66).

KERRY: C Bohane; S Foran, S McGrath, K O’Connor; J O’Connor, J Diggins, H Lenihan; K Goulding, A Segal; T Doyle, R Walsh, L Óg O’Connor; G Dooley, P Boyle, M Slattery.

Subs: E Conway for L Óg O’Connor (h/t), J Conway for R Walsh (h/t), L Rochford for M Slattery (46), D Kearney for A Segal (55), C Litchfield for H Lenihan (56).

Referee: C McCloskey (Antrim).